


City of Fallen Warlocks

by orphan_account



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Sexy Zone
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-03
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-04-01 05:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4006804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of warlock murders causes Magnus and Alec to travel to Tokyo, where they meet Kento and Fuma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	City of Fallen Warlocks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MelodyOfMyHeart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelodyOfMyHeart/gifts).



> Hey everyone! As some of you might know, I have spent the last months drowning in Cassandra Clare's Shadow World, and in the honor of my dear fandom imouto's birthday (and as an excuse for having torn her down the Malec abyss), I decided to transfer FumaKen into the Shadow World.
> 
> This is a crossover between Sexy Zone and Mortal Instruments fandom. The main characters are Kikuchi Fuma and Nakajima Kento - Magnus and Alec are only side character. So any readers stumbling in from TMI fandom, I am sorry to disappoint. 
> 
> For all SZ-centered readers - to make sure you can read the fic even without having read the books, I wrote a short (okay, scratch the short) [introduction](http://vflmaeuschen-ff.livejournal.com/4188.html) explaining all the important terms, names and interrelations. It includes spoilers to the books, though, since this fic is set post-City of Heavenly Fire. The TMI-related terms within the fic are marked with stars*, and are **bolded** within the introduction, for better orientation. I'd suggest for everyone who hasn't read the books to first read the introduction before starting the fic. If you've already read the books, you can skip it.
> 
> I hope the Crossover thematic doesn't scare most of you off - I quite like how this turned out, (even if my Magnus is a weak, weak copy of the original, bc I could never be as sassy as him) and I'd love to hear your thoughts about it :D
> 
> Also, I apologize to all fans of Tegoshi. I needed someone for the role.

Kento moved automatically when he heard the unmistakable sound of Fuma’s feet slipping on the stairs. They might not be parabatai*, but he had spend most of his life looking out for Fuma, so really, it came as a second nature to him to reach out and catch onto his elbow when he staggered. Fuma was easily the clumsiest person he had ever met, and while as Shadowhunters*, they lived with the constant threat of death, he was not ready to lose his partner to the stairs of the Tokyo Institute*, of all places.

Fuma held his balance, though, with Kento’s help, and shot a small sheepish smile to him in return, which made Kento feel a little unsteady on his own feet. He quickly let go, ignoring the tingling in his fingers where he had touched bare skin, painfully aware of Fuma’s father pushing open the door in front of them. 

Kento’s train of thoughts was cut off immediately by the voices behind it, making him smile a little even before he stepped into the entry hall of the Institute. He could identify Sou’s bright laughter and Marius’ whining, and when they finally came into view, he found them sprawled all over the couch in the corner with his younger brother Shori, vividly discussing what appeared to have happened in their latest training session. Kento caught pieces and bits about their tutor Totsuka-Sensei and some misdirected throwing knife. 

They all fell silent as they took note of Tsunetoshi-San and their older brothers, looking at them with curiosity and not a little of anxiousness in their eyes.

Tsunetoshi-San merely sent them what was probably supposed to be a reassuring smile before continuing to the library to report to his wife, but Fuma and Kento stayed behind to join them. Fuma nudged Marius aside so that he could squeeze himself in next to him on the couch, and Kento leaned against the armrest at Sou’s side. 

“What happened to the High Warlock* of Shibuya?” Shori asked quietly, apparently the only one daring to ask. “We heard there was a distress call…”

“Dead” Fuma said flatly, receiving horrified looks from the younger ones. “There was nothing we could do when we arrived.”

“Oh my god” Sou murmured numbly. “Isn’t that, like, the 3rd dead warlock this month?”

“The 4th” Kento corrected miserably. “But all the others were minor ones in standing. To kill the High Warlock of Shibuya seems like a declaration of war.”

“I heard that your mother called for help from the Clave*, but they said they had other priorities?” Marius asked, looking at Fuma inquisitively.

“ _Other priorities_ ” Fuma scoffed. “At this rate, Downworlders* will think Shadowhunters don’t care what is happening to the warlocks, or even that we’re the ones doing this. We need to somehow stop it, it’s getting out of control.”

"It's not like we have much to go on with, though" Kento reminded him. "It would be easier if we had any clues on who is doing this."

"Well, the Warlock representative in the Council* agreed to come from New York" Fuma shrugged helplessly. "Maybe he has heard of anything like this happening before. I heard he is really old."

As if on clue, the front door opened and two foreign figures entered the Institute. The first one had western features; skin so pale that most girls Kento knew would have huffed in envy, heavily marked with runes* all over his arms, black hair that hung down to his jaw and clear blue eyes. He was wearing a faded black shirt and jeans. The guy following close behind him could have not appeared more flashy in comparison, and for a moment Kento had to blink against the invasion of glitter and color. This one had Asian features, though probably southern, dark, spiked up hair and striking, green-gold eyes shaped like those of a cat. 

"You must be Magnus Bane*, the High Warlock of Brooklyn and Council Representative" Fuma observed, sounding hesitant, though that might have been down to the use of the English language instead of the dazzling appearance of the warlock. 

"Yes, that's me" Magnus said cheerfully, waving at them with heavily bejeweled fingers. "I brought my boyfriend, Alexander Lightwood* from the New York Conclave*. I hope that's alright. He has never been to Tokyo before, and I’d figured maybe we’d find some time for sightseeing..."

Kento was a little stunned at Magnus’ blatant use of the word 'boyfriend', and his eyes wandered to the Shadowhunter boy immediately. He seemed nervous under everyone’s gaze, Kento noted.

“You can call me Alec” he said quietly, nodding in greeting. 

“My name is Fuma Kikuchi” Fuma said politely, standing up. “My parents are running the Institute. Those are my younger brother Sou, my cousin Marius, and our friends Kento and Shori.”

“ _Hajimemashite_ ” Magnus greeted them with a surprisingly light accent. Kento wondered if he actually spoke Japanese. “So, I don’t want to be impolite, but maybe we should get to the matter on hand. I came because of the issue of murdered warlocks.”

“Yes, I know” Fuma nodded, throwing a quick look at Kento, which he understood as a silent plea to not leave him alone with the flashy warlock and his boyfriend. “I will bring you to my parents.”

Kento straightened up, and with a small smile at the younger ones, who had grown uncharacteristically silent. He had to resist the urge to snap his fingers against Shori's jaw so he would stop staring openmouthed at the warlock. Instead, he followed Fuma, Magnus and Alec down the corridor.

Magnus was talking animatedly to Fuma, and as he dragged behind them, Kento allowed himself to take in the warlock’s appearance for another moment. Fuma had mentioned that Magnus Bane was supposed to be very old, but he appeared to be no more than 19, no older than Alec, or Kento himself. The only thing about him that clued Kento in on his actual age was the air around him, some kind of maturity and wisdom that differed even from those of older Shadowhunters he had met. 

It was when Kento heard a familiar name that he tried to tune back in on what was being said. 

“The only Japanese warlock I ever met is the High Warlock of Shibuya, Tegoshi Yuya” Magnus was saying. “I was thinking of notifying him of my arrival, but I could not reach him earlier.”

Kento flinched, catching Alec’s attention, but he did not look up to meet the blue eyes on him, instead focusing on the tension in Fuma’s shoulder.

“I am sorry that you have to hear it like this, but Tegoshi-San was actually found dead in his apartment earlier. He called the Institute this morning, saying he was being attacked, but we arrived too late to be able to help.”

Both the look in Magnus’ eyes and his voice were heavy when he answered.

“I’m sorry to hear that. I only met him once a couple of years ago, but I quite liked him. I wished I had been here sooner to help.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, Kento saw Alec catching up with Magnus, gently entwining their fingers. He felt a tiny bit of enviousness tear through his empathy for Magnus’ loss. To see the two of them act so openly on their feelings for each other when he had spent the last couple of years suppressing similar feelings for Fuma seemed both a little surreal, and incredibly unfair. 

“Did you find any clues on the attacker? Do you think these are the doings of something demonic in nature?”

“We didn’t find anything” Fuma said slowly, turning halfway to catch Kento’s eyes. “Though I don’t think there is a demon involved…”

“I don’t think so either” Kento agreed carefully. “The attacks seem to have a human signature to them.”

“So you mean the attacker is either a Downworlder or a Nephilim*?” Magnus frowned, looking at him thoughtfully. 

“Well, I hope it’s not a Shadowhunter” Kento said half-heartedly. “After the Mortal War*, I had kind of hoped for peace.”

“Let me tell you something, little Nephilim boy” Magnus sighed. “There will never be peace, not for long. Take that from someone who has seen more wars than all American Presidents and Napoleon counted together.” 

Kento was spared from answering by their arrival at the library. Fuma knocked once before opening the door, revealing his parents standing by the window, apparently deep in conversation. They looked up at the noise, and the eyes of Fuma’s mother widened in recognition. 

“Mr. Bane, I have been waiting for your arrival!” she said, quickly crossing the room to shake his hand. “I am sorry that we had to summon you for this unpleasant matter.”

“I wished the circumstances had been less cruel, too” Magnus sighed. “Your son just filled me in about what happened to Tegoshi Yuya.”

“We are deeply stricken by his passing away” Fuma’s mother answered gravely. “We wished we could have been there to prevent it. Tegoshi-San has always been very cooperative with the Clave.” 

“He had deep ties with Shadowhunters, once upon a time” Magnus said simply. “I fear the other warlocks in the area have not been willing to cooperate, under the current circumstances?”

“No, sadly not” she confirmed. “We had hoped you would be able to help with that.”

“I can try to convince them that it’s for their own good” Magnus said slowly. “But many might have good reasons for avoiding Nephilim, and I won’t be able to change that.”

“Well, nevertheless, we are counting on your cooperation” Fuma’s mother said politely. “You may recover from your journey for tonight, and tomorrow we will discuss how to proceed. Maybe Fuma can show you to your accomondations?”

Fuma nodded hastily, and Magnus agreed, excusing himself to follow after Fuma and Kento again, Alec tagging behind him. 

The Institute was currently empty, apart from the Kikuchi family and Marius, who was living with them, and Kento found it a little eerie as they walked down the corridors towards the room that had been prepared for Magnus. The Institute was pretty much like a second home to him, and he had spent more than one night over at Fuma’s room, but he thought he would never get used to this much unoccupied space. It made him feel uneasy. 

Despite the good will of Fuma’s mother, it turned out that Magnus and Alec had no plans to rest. 

“It’s not like journeys through portals are that tiring” Magnus shrugged as he dropped his bag onto the bed carelessly. “I’d rather you take us to Tegoshi’s apartment. I would like to see the crime scene, to get an impression of what we’re dealing with.”

“Okay… Shall I get my parents to-” Fuma began with a frown, but Magnus cut him off.

“No, you two take us. It’s much easier to deal with kids your age than the generation of your parents. You are not as calcified yet.”

Alec seemed amused by that statement, but he seemed to agree, if the way he discarded of his own bag before looking at them expectantly was anything to tell by. 

“Well, okay, I guess” Fuma said, looking at Kento. “Are you coming?”

As if Kento had ever been able to refuse Fuma anything.

***

“Let me warn you, it’s not a pleasant sight” Fuma told them as he pushed open the door to Tegoshi’s fancy apartment. 

Magnus rolled his eyes.

“I’d have to wipe your memories if I told you of all the gruesome stuff I have seen in my life.”

For a moment, Fuma seemed intrigued to ask, but apparently thought better of it and just led them into the apartment. 

Kento had never been here until this morning, but he could tell that, underneath the destruction, this had once been a nice apartment, though definitely a little too flashy for his taste. Maybe that was why Tegoshi and Magnus had gotten along. He could picture the two of them strolling through Shibuya and buying all the things Fuma would not even touch if he had lost a bet. 

Now, the expensive interiors looked like a war zone: furniture was thrown over or torn apart, and the whole place was stained with blood. On the floor, Kento spotted a framed black and white picture, showing Tegoshi with another boy. A Shadowhunter, he realized with a start, the runes standing out against the skin of the arm he had thrown around Tegoshi. The glass of the frame was cracked, and Kento averted his gaze, feeling like he had seen something he shouldn’t have. 

“Seems like he put up quite a fight” Alec noted.

“I expected nothing less” Magnus shrugged. “You don’t just kill a warlock like him that easily. He was powerful. Which makes it even more worrisome that he went down.” He turned to Fuma. “Was the fight limited to only this room?”

“No, some other rooms were affected as well” Fuma explained. 

“Show me” Magnus demanded, and Fuma nodded before leading Magnus down the corridor. 

Kento had half a mind to follow them, but with a look at Alec standing awkwardly across the room, restlessly shifting his weight from one foot to another, he stayed where he was. 

For a few moments, they remained in tensed silence, before Alec asked, half conversationally, half out of obvious curiosity: “Is he your parabatai? Fuma, I mean.” 

“Um, no” Kento said uncomfortably. “We were planning to take the oath, but then some things happened and we kind of let it drop.”

“Things?” Alec enquired.

“Family matters” Kento explained. “Fuma’s cousin, Marius - you met him earlier - his mother was killed in the Mortal War, and he came to live with them. But after the Fair Folk* fell out of favor during the Dark War*, there have been problems, because Marius is part fey, and… we decided to push the ceremony back, and then never mentioned it again.”

“I see” Alec said quietly, and from the way he was looking at him, Kento could tell that he really did, more than Kento was comfortable with.

It had been Fuma’s idea, to become parabatai, years ago. “You have been with me through all my life” he had said. “You are basically a part of me already. I want to seal that bond with you.” And while Kento had been incredibly happy that Fuma treasured him to this extend, he had been hesitant at first. He had started feeling things for Fuma, things he had not been quite able to understand back then. He had agreed partly because of that, because of these unknown feelings that had begun to scare him a little. He had thought he would feel more secure under the seal of the parabatai bond.

But then the time had dragged on and on, and he had realized that, no matter how much he tried to fight against it, or pretended to not see it, he was in love with Fuma. And while he had no plans on letting him know, a tiny part of him had been aware that, should they go through with the parabatai ceremony, they would never be able to be together. That it was forbidden by law, and not only frowned upon by the Clave. 

He had let it drop because he had been afraid of facing Fuma and his feelings for him, and before he had known it, he had turned 18, and the chance of becoming parabatai had fallen away altogether. Fuma had never brought it up again, and Kento was scared to. “I have a parabatai” Alec said unexpectedly, making Kento blink at him. “He is like a brother to me, but it’s not always been that way. I know that the parabatai bond can also be a burden. So maybe it’s better that you didn’t go through with it.”

Kento felt caught, trapped, and for a moment, he was about to protest, to lie, but something in the way Alec was smiling at him held him back. 

“I’m sorry, I guess I’m out of line” he said regretfully. “It’s just hard for me to ignore, when I have been through it myself. I guess I just want to tell you to not be afraid of who you are.”

Kento hated it when people could see through him and his walls. He was so busy hiding himself most of the time that he sometimes had trouble to let even Fuma see his real self. But looking at Alec, he realized that the other boy probably knew _exactly_ what that felt like. 

It took some courage, but finally, he asked: “Your parabatai… Did you ever tell him?” He could not make himself voice it, but Alec knew what he meant anyways.

“No, not directly” he sighed. “But he knew. He helped me realize that it was Magnus who I wanted, in the end. Everything changed after I had met Magnus.”

“So... he did not return your feelings?” Kento asked darkly.

“No” Alec said carefully. “But I've known that from the start. And he definitely did not judge me for feeling the way I did.” Kento stayed silent, and Alec’s voice dropped even lower as he continued: “Fuma is not Jace*, though. Jace never looked at me like Fuma looks at you. That kind of look I’ve only ever known from Magnus.” 

Kento gulped, his throat suddenly feeling dry. Alec reached out to pat his shoulder in comfort, but froze when he heard footsteps announcing Magnus’ and Fuma’s return. 

“Alexander, darling, if I were you, I’d draw that hand away slowly, or you might have _two_ jealous guys breathing down your neck” Magnus said sweetly, letting blue sparks rise from his fingertips for show, but Kento could tell that he was joking by the glimmer in his cat eyes.

Fuma, on the other hand, had his gaze averted, red tinting his cheeks dark. 

"Did you find anything?" Alec asked, mercifully changing the subject, his hand dropping to his side.

"We actually did" Magnus noted, handing him the object Kento had not noticed him holding. It was a short sword, he realized, almost the size of a dagger, and Alec stared at it, his eyes widening. 

"A seraph blade*?" He asked. "That means-"

"Nephilim" Magnus nodded grimly.

Alec locked eyes with Kento. "There is no way that any of you might have forgotten it here this morning?" He asked hopefully.

"No" Kento murmured, his voice sounding lifeless to his own ears. "There was no need for us to use weapons. When we arrived, everything was already done."

"So it looks like we're searching for a Nephilim with a huge grudge against warlocks" Magnus said, looking at Kento and Fuma contemplatively. "Do you happen to know anyone like that, by chance?"

"No" Fuma replied, a little defiant. "If we seemed like people who'd go partying with mad Downworlder killers at night, we have to disappoint you." 

Kento caught his eyes for a moment, and Fuma took a deep, calming breath. The subject had been touchy with him ever since the first time Marius had been accused of being a spy for the Seelie Court*. 

"Then you are probably shunning most of your own kind" Magnus commented, but there was no malice in it. "Not that I am suspecting your families. But I assume there are other Nephilim situated in Tokyo."

Kento thought of the other Shadowhunter families he knew, the Morimotos, the Tanakas, the Fujigayas... There was no one he would dare suspecting of such crime. But he knew that there were others, people who had mostly withdrawn themselves from the Tokyo Conclave, most of who he had never even met...

"Well, this is troubling" Magnus sighed. "Nephilim going against the Accords*... This won't be pretty."

"You think there are any stray Circle* members left over?" Alec asked.

"Doubtful. Most who were still identifying with Valentine's* beliefs allowed themselves to be turned into Endarkened* Warriors during the Dark War and died with Jonathan Morgenstern*. Though I guess we shouldn't completely abandon the possibility. People rarely seem to stay as dead as we believe them to be, these days."

Kento's eyes traveled to Fuma's face again. The younger boy looked troubled, exhausted, and it awakened the deep need within Kento to protect him. He knew that Fuma was anything but weak - if asked who was the stronger one out of the two of them, both as a warrior and as a person, he would always answer "Fuma" - but it was in moments like these that he remembered the five year old boy clinging to his hand, stubbornly blinking away tears while being scolded.

"Maybe we should go back to the Institute and report to your parents" Kento suggested, his voice soft, and it made Fuma look up. 

"Yeah. You're probably right" Fuma nodded, shaking his head slightly as if to clear it. 

"I agree. We shouldn't hang around here for too long" Alec murmured, and with a start, he could pin down the source of Alec's constant restlessness: He was worrying about Magnus, and probably for a good reason, seeing that a powerful warlock had been killed earlier today in this very apartment.

Magnus only nodded absentmindedly, his eyes hanging on the framed picture Kento had discovered earlier, lying abandoned on the floor. Before they left, he saw Magnus picking it up and placing it tenderly on the kitchen counter. Kento looked up at the soft sound of Fuma's voice, though.

"Will you stay tonight?" He asked simply, almost casually, but the fact that he was asking at all was as good as a plea from Fuma. Kento knew him well enough to understand all of his subdued signals like a second mother tongue.

"Okay" Kento nodded, and Fuma sent him a small smile.

***

When Kento stepped out of the shower, Fuma was sprawled all over his bed in an old T-Shirt and boxers, typing away on his phone. He allowed his eyes to travel once over his slowly drying dark curls to the little stripe of skin that could be seen between the hem of his shirt and the waistband of his shorts, before lowering his gaze, inwardly scolding himself.

"Juri is saying hello" Fuma noted with a yawn, dropping his phone to the bedside table.

"Say hello back" Kento replied, but Fuma did not pick up the phone again. Instead he watched Kento buzz about the room. Kento could feel his eyes on him as he draped his jeans over a chair, the gaze burning into his skin like fire.

They had excused themselves to go to bed about half an hour ago, leaving Magnus and Alec with Marius and Sou. They had not seemed to mind. In the contrary; Magnus was so fond of Marius that Kento was pretty sure they had to prevent him from kidnapping him to New York in a couple of days. And Marius would follow all too willingly, too. 

The atmosphere of the evening had been notably light, compared to the grave events of the day. Kento would have enjoyed it, if Fuma had not been uncharacteristically quiet all throughout. Usually, Fuma was the loudest, most obnoxious person in any group, but tonight, something had clearly been on his mind, and it had made Kento feel tensed, too. Like always, Fuma’s mood had a direct influence on his own. 

“Are you alright?” Kento asked finally, dropping himself onto the little free space Fuma had left him on the mattress. 

Fuma shrugged, nodding as if to wave off the question, still watching him with a frown. 

“What do you think of Magnus and Alec?” Fuma asked finally, the question so abrupt that it seemed like it had burst out of him without his consent. Kento blinked, not quite sure what to answer.

“They seem nice enough? I mean, Magnus is a little… unconventional, but I guess that’s what makes him so charming.”

“That’s not what I mean” Fuma murmured, sounding frustrated. “I mean, the fact that they are… That they…”

“That they’re in love?” Kento asked, his stomach sinking. Fuma nodded, and there was a flush on his face. “I… don’t have a problem with that?” He couldn’t really make himself look at Fuma, so he fixed a point at the ceiling where the tapestry had begun to come off. “Do you?”

“No!” Fuma said hastily, seeming slightly breathless. When he continued, his voice was a little softer, the way it became whenever he was sharing a secret with Kento. “I think they are very brave. Showing their feelings that openly.”

“So do I” Kento whispered, his heart pounding. 

“I heard some of the others talking about them, after they came back from Idris*” Fuma continued. “Juri, Yasui, Shintaro… They said that people within the Clave were talking behind their backs. That they were belittling them. Apparently even the Inquisitor* is against the relationship.” 

Kento felt a little sick at hearing that. He wondered what it was like, to have even your own father disapprove of who you were. 

“I mean, their friends support them, it seems” Fuma added quickly. “Alec’s sister, and his parabatai, Jace Herondale, and Clarissa Morgenstern*… They've all played big parts in both the Mortal War and the Dark War, so I guess no one would dare to say anything openly. Plus, Magnus _does_ hold a seat in the Council. But they are definitely talking about them.”

“I don’t know why they care so much” Kento said, to no one in particular. “It’s not like it’s any of their business.”

“We Nephilim have always been narrow-minded people, I guess” Fuma said numbly. “Much more than we like to admit sometimes.”

“Not all of us” Kento insisted. “We are different, aren’t we?”

Fuma caught his eyes, before nodding once, firmly. None of them broke the eye contact for a few moments, and Kento breathed in sharply when Fuma’s fingers brushed his. The touch was light, shy, but when Kento didn’t pull away, Fuma gently entwined their fingers, holding on.

“Kento” he whispered. “I-”

But Kento never knew what Fuma was going to tell him, because in that moment, Fuma’s phone went off. Fuma sat up as if struck by lightning, drawing his hand away hastily. He cursed under his breath as he picked up his phone. Kento could catch some very uncomplimentary names for Juri. 

He lay in tensed silence until Fuma had typed an angry answer and turned his phone off. 

“I guess we should sleep” Fuma said finally, and Kento knew by the sound of his voice that their prior conversation was over.

“I guess” Kento said regretfully, pulling the blanket up to his chin as Fuma cut the light. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

***

When Kento woke up the next morning, it was to the sound of movement in the room. He blinked his eyes open reluctantly to see Fuma button up his jeans. He closed them again quickly, but the change in his breathing must have given him away because Fuma froze to look at him.

“Kento?”

Kento just answered with a noncommittal grunt, and Fuma snorted.

“Sorry if I woke you.”

“What are you doing up so early?” Kento whined, tentatively opening his eyes again. At least Fuma was fully dressed now, a small smile playing on his lips as he took in Kento’s sleepy form.

“It’s not _that_ early” Fuma teased.

“Usually, you never get up before I do.” It was true - Kento’s mother had always joked that half the grounds their friendship was built on consisted of the fact that none of them was able to get out of bed in the morning.

The smile on Fuma’s lips flickered like dying candlelight, and he averted his gaze.

“I couldn’t sleep well.”

Kento sobered up at that, forcing himself into a sitting position. The blanket pooled in his lap, and he fumbled with it for a moment.

“Is something wrong?” Kento asked finally. “You have been weird since last night.”

“I’m fine” Fuma said shortly, cutting off all further inquiries. “I’m going to grab some breakfast. Take your time. You can sleep some more if you want to.”

With that, he left the room, and Kento stared at the wooden door closing behind him with a sensation of betrayal.

He hated it when Fuma shut him out like this. It made him feel inconsequential, unimportant. Like Fuma tolerated his presence, but refused to let him see all of him. Like he was the guy who had _almost_ been good enough to become his parabatai, but not quite.

Kento quickly shooed those thoughts away and got up to grab his clothes and get into the small adjacent bathroom to brush his teeth. He knew that it was wrong to think like that. Fuma had made it clear that he needed Kento on multiple occasions, with tiny little nuances in a thousand ordinary gestures. Plus, it was not like Kento was always completely honest with Fuma, either, he reminded himself.

Maybe, even in the deepest friendships, everyone needed some privacy in their heart, some secret place that the other could not reach.

When he finally entered the kitchen about ten minutes later, Fuma was sitting at the table with Alec. Both fell silent at the sight of him, his appearance killing their conversation like the impact of a bomb. It made him feel weirdly unwelcome. Alec nodded at Kento in greeting as he reluctantly claimed the chair opposite of them, reaching for a slice of toast.

“Where is Magnus?” Kento asked.

“Out with Tsunetoshi” Alec answered. “They are trying to contact some of the local warlocks. Or those that are still left” he added bitterly.

“Nothing will happen to Magnus” Kento said automatically. “We won’t let it.”

Alec sent him a small smile. “Thanks, but Magnus can look out for himself.”

“Of course” Kento agreed, a little embarrassed. Despite his words, Alec still seemed worried.

He was saved from saying anything else when Alec’s phone rang, and with a quick look at the caller ID, he excused himself and left the room to take it.

It left Kento and Fuma alone in the kitchen. Fuma was gnawing on his toast, resolutely refusing to look at him, and Kento felt like he’d swallowed a hedgehog.

“I’ll go home after breakfast” he said quietly, and finally, Fuma looked up at him.

“What?” Fuma asked in confusion, seeming distressed at the thought of Kento leaving. “No! Please stay!”

“I don’t understand” Kento muttered in frustration. “What’s wrong, Fuma?! Did I do something to upset you?! If so, tell me!”

“You didn’t do anything” Fuma said unhappily. “I just… I have a lot on my mind, and…”

“ _What_ do you have on your mind?!” he demanded. “This is the third time I’m asking you, so you’d better answer!”

As expected, Fuma stayed silent, looking at his breakfast in front of him as if the sight of it made him sick.

“I see” Kento murmured, his voice bitter, and the way Alec and Fuma had fallen silent earlier came back to him, feeling like a sting in his chest. “So it’s something you can tell Alec, but not me.”

“ _No_ ” Fuma protested with a groan. “You are misunderstanding this! I was just asking him for advice, because-“

But it was then that Alec returned to the room, his phone still in hand, and his face pale. Both of them fell silent immediately.

“It’s Magnus, they need our help!” he told them hastily, his voice breathless. “They walked in on another attack!”

***

Usually, when they went anywhere by car, Kento was the one driving. He had owned his driving license longer, and possessed what their parents called “a sense for responsibility in his way of driving” which Fuma completely lacked. But today, he left the steering wheel to him anyways. He knew he did not work well under pressure, and he had a feeling that it was Fuma’s senseless speeding which was required to get them to the other end of the city as quickly as possible.

He did his best to look neither at Fuma nor at the traffic to fight the sensation of panicked nausea inside of him, but the only other choice was to look at Alec, and that made him feel even worse.

 _Magnus can look out for himself_ , he had said, but now that his boyfriend was in danger, he definitely saw the matter differently. Alec’s knuckles were white from how tightly he had fisted his hands, and his blue eyes were bright and feverish as he stared into space.

Even with Fuma driving, the way to the address Magnus had given Alec seemed way too long, and when Fuma finally stopped the car with a sharp brake at the side of the road, Alec was already half-falling out of the door and running towards the entrance of the apartment building. Fuma and Kento had trouble following him.

The apartment of the warlock was on the second floor, and as they were speeding up the stairs, they could already hear screams and sounds of flying objects and breaking furniture. Kento’s hand quickly went for one of the blades fastened at his belt. He only had two weapons with him, a dagger and a seraph blade, and even the runes that marked his arms were kept to a minimum. They had not had time for more, and he would have forgotten to mark himself completely had Fuma not grabbed his arm to do it for him.

They reached the top of the stairs just as Alec shouldered the door to the apartment open, his bow in hand, arrow drawn. Fuma grabbed Kento’s wrist, holding him back, and Kento watched anxiously as the view to the inside of the apartment was revealed.

The first thing Kento saw was battered tatami and a ripped futon. The second was Magnus, crouched behind what looked like a broken cupboard just across the room.

“Alec! Watch out!” he called, and Alec had just enough time to duck before a shock wave so intense that it ripped the door from its confines hit behind him, and Kento barely managed to push Fuma against the wall of the corridor and throw himself against the reeling of the stairs to avoid any of them being hit by it.

“Get out!” A droning voice echoed from the room, in Japanese, sounding more demonic than human. “I’m a Child of Raziel*, don’t get in the way of my mission!”

“As far as I know, the purpose Raziel gave you was to protect the world from demons, not to ally with one to slaughter Downworlders” Magnus returned, his own Japanese lightly accented but otherwise perfect. “You should have paid better attention in history lessons.”

Another blow of pressure hit the wall behind Magnus, but he remained unharmed.

Kento ducked as he moved over carefully, until he was next to Alec and able to take in the whole room.

Tsunetoshi-San was standing hidden behind the splintered door to the bathroom, blade drawn. Concealed behind the kitchen counter, Kento spotted what was probably the warlock they had come to warn before the attack. All Kento could make out was fire red skin and long, black hair drawn back into a ponytail.

In the middle of the room stood a Shadowhunter. He was bulky and short, a little older than him, maybe, though it was hard to tell, from a distance. When he turned to face them, Kento was struck speechless by the smoky black irises, and the red colored sclera, both hinting on some kind of demonic possession.

“Don’t speak to me, murderer!” He called, obviously in answer to Magnus’ interjection. “Child of rapist, a devil! Creatures like you shouldn’t exist! You should have been murdered the moment you were born, like I did with my own son, once I saw its claws!”

Kento felt sick at those words, and he could see the color leaving Magnus’ face, too.

“This child took my wife from me!” he screamed, and like this, his voice sounded maniac. “I am going to erase all warlocks from this world, and I will hunt down every demon lurking around for innocent women trying to create new ones!”

With that, he lurched another attack at Magnus. Kento could see Alec drawing his bow again next to him, but Kento was faster – he already had the blade in his hand, and threw it.

This had always been Kento’s specialty. He had never been good at one to one fights like Fuma was, but his aim was near perfect, and he prided himself in it.

The dagger would have hit the heart of the possessed Shadowhunter, had he not moved in the very last moment. As it was, it wounded his shoulder, and with a scream, he lashed out in Kento’s direction, black, tentacle-like arms spurting from his hands .

Alec leaped aside, but Kento was stuck between the splintered remains of the front door, unable to get away in time. He braced himself, but then, Fuma threw his arms around him, shielding him.

Kento froze, and with growing horror, he heard Fuma’s sharp intake of breath, and a sound between a whimper and a groan. Fuma’s hands grabbed onto his shoulders even tighter, this time in pain, and when Kento fastened his own hands around his waist, he felt that his shirt was wet with blood.

“Fuma” he whispered, his voice weak, and he was barely aware of what was happening around them – Magnus had pushed the possessed Shadowhunter over with his powers, and Tsunetoshi-San was holding him down, fighting with him, but Kento was too focused on Fuma’s ragged breathing, and the way his body had begun to tremble against his.

Fuma’s knees gave away and he slumped against Kento, who held him close, gently but firmly. Kento locked his gaze with him when warm fingers brushed his cheekbone. Fuma’s eyes were half shut, but fixed on him.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice breathy, and Kento would have laughed if he hadn't felt so horrified.

“Who cares about me now?!” he scoffed, fumbling to pull out his stele*, drawing a quick healing rune onto the skin of Fuma’s arm. It faded immediately. Demon poison, Kento thought desperately.

“ _I_ do” Fuma murmured, with the hint of a smile. “I always do.”

Kento felt the sting of impending tears at the back of his eyes, but then Magnus was by his side, urging Kento to lower Fuma onto the floor.

“Get back!” Magnus hissed, and Kento was about to protest, but he was stopped by Alec’s hands on his shoulders, which were firmly drawing him back.

“Magnus can heal him!” he said firmly, and it made Kento stop struggling. “He has healed me when I was on the verge to death. Trust him.”

Kento nodded hesitantly, and in the next moment, Fuma was surrounded by blue sparks.

“Trust him” Alec repeated, catching Kento’s eyes. “It will be fine.”

Kento nodded. Tsunetoshi-San had secured the attacker by now and was looking towards Magnus and his son anxiously, and the other warlock was carefully making his way towards them through the ruins of his apartment, looking oddly out of place.

It felt like hours when really, it were merely minutes, but finally, the blue sparks of Magnus’ magic ceased, and Magnus sunk against the wall behind him, obviously exhausted. Fuma was lying on the floor, eyes closed and very still.

“He should be fine now” Magnus announced. “He just needs to rest.”

Kento almost stumbled over his own feet in his haste to get to Fuma. He gently cupped the cheek of his best friend, accidentally smearing his own blood across his skin. Fuma did not stir, but his breathing was even and his skin was warm.

***

When Fuma opened his eyes again, he was in a soft bed. Everything smelled sterile, and when his gaze focused, he realized he was staring up at the dark ceiling of the Institute’s infirmary. The only light illuminating the room was the twilight falling into it from the window.

The second thing he noted was the warm body pressed against his left side. He turned his face to look at Kento, his upper body draped across the edge of Fuma’s bed, fast asleep. His head was lying on Fuma’s upper arm, and his fingers were entwined with Fuma’s, his hand held so closely to Kento’s chest that he could feel his heartbeat through his thin shirt. Fuma had to smile, and for a moment, he had the urge to reach out with his free hand and brush Kento's bangs out of his eyes. He had always liked watching Kento sleep. There was something truly angelic about his face with his eyes closed.

The soft sound of the door opening tore into his thoughts, and he looked up to see Magnus and Alec enter the room, steps careful and quiet.

“You are awake” Magnus noted. “Thank god, then we can go eat Kaiten Sushi for dinner without feeling guilty.”

Fuma snorted, then quickly threw a sideways look at Kento, afraid that the sound might have woken him. It hadn’t.

“Be nice to him when he wakes up” Alec advised with a tiny smile. “He’s been in a horrible state all day.”

Fuma sighed, looking back at Kento’s sleeping figure. Kento had always worried about him more than he should. He guessed that he felt a responsibility over Fuma, being the older one, but it made him feel frustrated and guilty. He was better at protecting than letting himself be protected.

“I think he deserves a kiss, after all this stress” Magnus suggested. “Think about it.”

Fuma rolled his eyes, but he could feel the heat in his face.

“It’s not that easy” Fuma said regretfully.

“Actually, it is” Magnus lectured. “Life's too short, duck boy. Don’t waste it wallowing over the things you want instead of just getting them.”

Fuma glared half-heartedly at the nickname. Even though Magnus had saved his life, he had trouble being called names by someone who looked like he had just barely escaped the Japanese idol industry.

“Seriously, though, Fuma” Alec said quietly, catching his eyes. “The thing you asked me this morning… About how everyone reacted to our relationship…” Magnus looked at him, shoulders tensed, and Alec sighed. “I won’t lie to you. It’s not easy. But I still wouldn’t change a thing if I had the chance to. Some things are worth it, even if you will be the center of attention for a while.”

Fuma gulped, his eyes back on Kento’s face.

“You love him” Alec murmured. “Enough to risk your life for him, you proved that today. So what does it matter what others will say? Your feelings are more important than that.”

“I don’t want to put him through all of this” Fuma said quietly. “He has always been so insecure. He’s trying so hard to please everyone. I’m not sure how he would deal with all the nasty looks.”

“What he cares about most is what _you_ think” Magnus argued. “As long as _you_ love him, he can deal with everything else.”

“You don’t know him like I do” Fuma whispered.

“But I have been alive longer than you. I know how these things work. Love makes you stronger, kiddo.”

Fuma sighed, unconsciously squeezing Kento’s fingers in his a little tighter.

“Talk to him” Alec advised. “Don’t decide what he can and cannot deal with behind his back. And stop hiding things, it will draw a wedge between you.”

Fuma remembered the hurt look on Kento’s face earlier today, when he had refused to tell him what was wrong with him.

“Well, it’s your choice” Magnus shrugged. “Continue gazing at him longingly from afar like he is the Beauty to your Beast and make everyone else feel uncomfortable in your presence, or work it out and be together. Whichever you prefer.” He elbowed Alec in the side, and Alec raised an eyebrow at him. “I am hungry, and I will get some Chuutoro now.” He waved at him once, the rings on his fingers sparkling in the dark, and the two of them retreated. They closed the door behind themselves softly, leaving Fuma alone with sleeping Kento.

Fuma let his eyes linger on the other for a long time, thinking about what Magnus and Alec had said.

He had been thinking about confessing to Kento for a long time now, even before the warlock and the Shadowhunter from New York had turned up at their Institute. He had heard about their story, had asked Juri so many questions about them that he feared he’d been a tiny bit too obvious, but if he had noticed, he had politely ignored it.

When he had started developing feelings for Kento, he had been a teenager, and way too young to understand what it meant. He had interpreted them wrongly; had heard talk about the bond parabatai shared and had searched his answer there. It hadn’t been until later that he had realized that his feelings were of quite a different nature. That he did not love Kento like a brother. It was a different kind of love, one that consumed his whole soul, so completely that sometimes it felt like nothing mattered but Kento.

Like earlier, when he had jumped in between the impending attack and him, not being able to stand the thought of the other boy getting hurt. He hadn’t cared about what would happen to him, not in the long run, if it meant that he could keep Kento safe.

His need to protect Kento was not only physical, though. He had been on the verge of confessing his feelings many times – only last night, even – but instead of fearing Kento’s answer, it was the fear _for_ Kento that kept holding him back, in the end. He knew that, even if Kento did not return his feelings, he would be kind about it. Acceptance was deeply rooted in his character, and Fuma knew this would be no exception. Of course, he would be disappointed, if Kento did end up rejecting him, but he trusted him enough to know that it would not change a thing about their friendship. They were too tightly bonded for that to happen.

What scared him, though, was the idea of being the reason Kento was hurting. He did not want him to feel guilty for rejecting him should he need to, and he did not want anyone to make his life harder should he happen to return his feelings. His protectiveness was so strong that it sometimes ruled over the need to be with him.

But maybe Magnus and Alec had been right. Maybe he was making decisions for Kento, patronizing and underestimating him in a way that would make Kento turn against him someday. And the thought of losing Kento that way hurt more than every injury caused by demon poison.

Almost unconsciously, he reached out to touch him. He let his fingertips brush over Kento’s soft, brown hair, and Kento sleepily leaned into it, like a cat being petted.

Then, surprisingly abrupt, he sat straight, staring at Fuma with wide eyes. Fuma’s hand fell limply back onto his own stomach.

“You’re awake” Kento breathed, squeezing the hand he was still holding so hard that it almost hurt. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine” Fuma said gently, trying to calm him. “I’m sorry that I scared you like that.”

“Don’t be so reckless, idiot” Kento murmured shakily. “What would I have done if you-“

“What would _I_ have done if _you_ had died, and I hadn’t done anything to protect you?” Fuma said strongly. “But none of us died. All is well. It’s pointless to argue about it now.”

“Yeah” Kento sighed, unconsciously pressing Fuma’s hand to his chest again. It made something inside of Fuma glow with warmth.”I guess you’re right. I was just so scared…”

“I’m sorry” Fuma repeated.

“ _I’m_ sorry” Kento murmured unhappily, catching his eyes. “For arguing with you this morning. I shouldn’t have done that. I-“

“No” Fuma shook his head, his chest tightening in guilt. “You were right. I didn’t talk to you, and I should have. I didn’t mean to shut you out. I just…” Kento waited, tired eyes anxious, and Fuma knew that this was it. It was now or never. “The whole thing was about _you_ , you see, and I was just too much of a coward to talk to you about it.” Fuma took a shaky breath, and Kento squeezed his fingers once, giving him courage to continue.

“I love you” Fuma said finally, and it was hard, to keep his eyes focused on those big, brown orbs he adored so much, but he forced himself to. “Like Alec and Magnus love each other. I’m in love with you, and I was terrified to tell you. I’m sorry.”

Kento was still for a moment, obviously under shock, and when he spoke, it was so soft that Fuma had to strain his ears to hear it.

“I love you, too” he whispered, sounding awed, like he couldn’t understand that this was happening, and Fuma found it hard to breathe, with the weight of his emotions pressing down on him.

“Come here” Fuma brought out, his voice rough, and he pulled at Kento’s hand. Kento seemed confused for a moment, but when Fuma held up his blanket, he slipped underneath, joining Fuma on the small infirmary bed.

It reminded Fuma of when they’d been kids, and Kento had fallen down a set of stairs in the institute. Fuma had been four, and he had cried _so hard_ , refusing to leave Kento’s side, sleeping in the infirmary with him, not letting go of his hand even for one second.

Now, they were much older and much taller, and they had to wrap themselves around each other to both fit, but it made it even better. Kento was warm and firm against him, secure and familiar and exciting, and Fuma hooked an arm around his waist, keeping him in place. 

Kento looked at him shily, expectantly, as if unsure how to proceed, and it made Fuma smile before he leaned in. 

Kento’s lips were soft, so incredibly soft, and Fuma felt like he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. The light brushes of their lips were laced with tiny static shots, making his head spin and his skin tingle in the best ways. Kento’s scent surrounded him, perfume and shampoo and a tinge of sweat, and it was so _normal_ and yet so very special, all at the same time. 

When they broke apart, their breathing was ragged and Kento was fisting the back of Fuma’s shirt. Kento’s skin was flushed and his lips were shining and Fuma’s chest felt tight with all the things he felt for him.

“I love you” he whispered, burying one hand in Kento’s hair, pulling him close again. “I love you so much, I don’t even know what to do with myself.”

He gave Kento no chance to answer, instead kissing him again, this time more urgent. He pressed so close to his body that he could feel the heat of his skin, the hammering of his heart, and every move he made. Any closer and they would have melted into one being, Fuma thought. He almost wished they could. 

His frenzy thoughts were interrupted by the door opening.

“Kento?” Shori called. “Are you coming home with me or are you-”

Fuma and Kento froze, carefully pulling apart enough to look at their intruders. Shori, Marius and Sou were standing in the doorway, looking at them with wide eyes. 

For a moment, no one moved or spoke. Then, Shori turned around abruptly and walked out of the door again.

“I’ll tell Mum you’re spending the night” he called, in obvious embarrassment, and then he was gone. 

Sou and Marius were grinning, obviously pleased with what they had walked into, and Fuma would have glared at them had facial muscles not been doing all kind of funny things.

“Don’t let us interrupt” Marius said sweetly, and Sou fistbumped him on the way out. The door fell closed behind them.

Fuma couldn’t help it - he laughed, and to his relief, Kento joined in, pressing his face into Fuma’s shoulder. 

“Well, that’s that” he said, amused. 

“You don’t mind, do you?” Fuma asked, smiling a little nervously now. “Them knowing, I mean.”

Kento looked at him incredulous.

“No” he said. “I was not planning on keeping this a secret.”

“No matter how everyone will react?”

Kento cupped Fuma’s cheek, looking at him lovingly. Fuma was amazed by the way his eyes shone. 

“I’m not ashamed of how I feel about you. You are a part of me, and everyone who can’t deal with that shall stay out of our way.”

Fuma felt light-headed with happiness, and he quickly kissed Kento again, before any more mushy confessions spilled over his lips. 


End file.
